Operation Backpack

Studies show that children perform better in school when they eat three balanced meals a day. Operation Backpack provides children whose families are low-income with nutritious, kid-friendly foods. The food is packed and delivered to the school by volunteers each Friday that school is in session. Each child brings home approximately 6.5 pounds per food a week.

Our congregation has partnered with Lucas Elementary School in Iowa City, and has committed to picking up, packing, and delivering food to their students. We need everyone’s help to ensure that Lucas students have enough to eat on the weekends. Volunteers of all ages are welcome!

There are two “jobs” that happen once per month: picking up food from the HACAP warehouse and meeting as a group to pack the food into a month’s worth of bags, generally about 200 bags. This is usually (but not always!) done on the first Monday of the month at 6:30pm and takes an hour or less.

There is one “job” that happens once per week: pick up the bags from FPC and delivery them to Lucas Elementary on Fridays. This takes about 30 minutes and requires two people per week.

These service opportunities are multi-generational with volunteers from 3 to 83 years old (almost!). It’s a great way to make friends, have fun, and make a direct impact in the local community.

Interested?

To sign-up to pick-up or pack food (occurs once per month, sign-up for one or many times): click here.

To sign-up to deliver food (occurs once per week, sign-up for one or many times): click here.

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